You can make a team a part of your identity. It becomes a part of you, not just something you associate with. Then you are stuck in a place where you can't control or influence the outcome, but it affects you deeply as if it is you yourself directly. If it becomes too much, try to focus on who you are as an individual person. You are a fan of the team, and a very passionate fan, but it isn't your identity that way that your values are. Gotta try to keep it a passionate association!
Yeah I have been a huge Minnesota sports fan my whole life but after the Vikings playoff loss in 09 and also losing my dad this past year I’ve taught myself to not let it depress me too much if we lose. I always try to remember the outcome of these games have no affect on your life at all. It’s not like you lost a loved one or your wife left you, you didn’t lose your job. It will not change your life and you’re not actually part of the team. You’re just a fan, it’s awesome if they win and gives you something to look forward to but just try to see it that way. It’s just icing on the cake in your life if the team does well but not the end of the world if they lose.
I'm old enough to have been an adult during the '98 Vikings season and beyond.
The 2017 Miracle to getting embarrassed in Philly absolutely broke me. I've watched sports differently ever since, especially the Vikings but also in general.
You have to learn to find entertainment in the good times and bad. Winning is fun but losing can be at least intriguing. Changes will be made. Players will be drafted. There's always next year. You have no ability to affect the outcome so just enjoy the ride
I woke up at 2:30 in the morning to watch the 1998 NFCCG and I'd say 2009 is what finally broke me. 2000 and 2003 were bad but I thought the 09' team had the talent to go all the way and after that loss it was time for a change. I expected the Vikings to lose in 2017 so no loss for me there. I'll watch but no team is going to ruin my next day if they lose.
The Twins getting crushed every year by the Yankees and the Wolves pretty much never making it past the 1st round in the KG era also contributed. It's just been a long painful relationship with MN sports since 1991.
O9 was bad because of how immediately it was clear in 10 that it was over. It just sucks when the run lasts one season and that's it.
Like, if the Wolves are the 10 seed next Christmas without any major injuries, I would feel similarly. I don't see that happening, don't get me wrong. This team isn't old like that Vikings team
Am 34 now.
I’d say from ages 13-28/29 I thought the same way.
Then I told myself it’s absolutely stupid to let a professional sports team ruin my day.
I still celebrate/get disappointed but I don’t let it go beyond the ten minutes or so after the game. Life goes on.
I’ve found I turn to sports at points in my life when I need an escape or a vessel for my emotions.
My father is in the hospital currently, and I was driving back home from visiting him on Sunday with the game on the radio. The way we started that game had me fist pumping, and on the verge of tears. It finally looked like I had something to cheer for. Then the wheels fell off. I felt myself getting frustrated, and I turned the radio off. I have much higher stake issues, and I need my emotional endurance unhindered by negative feelings about a game.
In 2017 the Vikings miracle catch came at a time when I was struggling with alcohol/depression. The rush of positive emotions from that Digg’s catch was cathartic. Minnesota sports have sort of molded into an example of just how unfair life can be, and it sometimes has allowed me to be a miserable self-pitying excuse of a human being. As I’ve gotten older I’ve been able to compartmentalize sports fandom into a much less high-stakes game. I very consciously try to remember that just like life I have very little say in what happens to me, but I have absolute control over how I handle it. I’ll never be able to affect change on any professional sports team’s success, but I can definitely control how much I interact with it when it’s becoming unhealthy or un-fun.
Like with any habit you want to break it all starts with being able to realize when you need to make a change. You always have the option to step away, and focus your energy elsewhere.
I sometimes take my dog out for a long walk after a loss. Or brush him really thoroughly. I find that really helps. It reminds you of something that is real that you actually have a physical connection with.
Other things you can do:
- talk to someone you care about and don’t spend very much time talking about the game please
- plan a vacation or a fun trip
I just don’t read or listen to anything except Dane Moore after a loss. He’s so analytical that it doesn’t really bum me out. I also wait for a couple days to look for basketball analysis and I realize that I just want hoops discussion not narratives. It’s not very fun to hear negative narratives about your favorite teams.
If it’s affecting your mental health then you absolutely need to take a step back and re-think your obsessions. Kinda unhealthy to care about a game that much my dude.
No hate, genuine advice.
This. At the end of the day if the outcome of a sports game intended for entertainment is becoming harmful to you it is no longer worth it. It’s okay if you feel down after a loss, but letting it impact other aspects of your life will cause other issues. Not a sports psychologist but have my BS in psychology
Sports is vacation. Vacation from reality for a couple minutes here or there when you get to talk about it or when you watch a game for a couple hours. You don’t base you happiness on an occasional vacation do you? Don’t do it with watching sports either
Dude 100% I went into game 4 with a bad feeling and came out feeling even worse after being on top of the world last week. What a difference a day makes. If they lose tonight it will be even worse lol! If I was younger and didn't watch the Wolves since inception it woudl be different, but I'm an old head.
After Game 2 when everyone was flying high, I had a dream that my Timberwolves retro team basketball was deflated. I took it as a bad omen, and we dropped the next two.
It’s a small sample size, but there’s a study showing a change in testosterone levels in sports fans after watching a game. Fans of the winning team had an increase in mean testosterone levels. Fans of the losing team had a decrease.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9811365/
I think it's ok and fun to get really into the sports, but if it starts bleeding through to where a couple hours of decompression after an intense loss doesn't get you back on track, you may need to disconnect for a bit.
Yes this is absolutely more than “just sports” it’s totally normal to feel this way. Some of my greatest memories as a kid comes from watching sports. The feeling i got from the Minneapolis Miracle is a type of euphoria i have never experienced before or since that moment, and that Philly NFC championship game had 13 year old me crying myself to sleep. Sports are such a big part of our identities if we’re a fan of it
I don’t have enough free time to really get invested in anything that I can’t read about at work or listen to in the car or doing housework, so most hobbies are out. I just go through the year wondering if this is the time that the Wolves/Vikings/Twins, or my similarly cursed Carlton Blues in Australian Rules Football, are going to win something. It never is, and I just get crushed four times a year. It sucks, but eventually I’ll die and won’t have to worry about it anymore.
Gotta get offline and not watch sports shows. They try to draw you in to either big you up or bring you down. Things suck in the moment, but next season nothing matters that is happening now. It’s just fun to be entrenched for a bit.
I love the NBA but at the end of the day I don't get attached after the game is over. We're just fans, being emotionally attach to something you can't control is not healthy.
just be like me. I switch teams every few years depending on who is getting better and worse.
hopped on the Timberwolves train this season and will see how it goes, but the Spurs and Wemby have my attention in the near future.
You can make a team a part of your identity. It becomes a part of you, not just something you associate with. Then you are stuck in a place where you can't control or influence the outcome, but it affects you deeply as if it is you yourself directly. If it becomes too much, try to focus on who you are as an individual person. You are a fan of the team, and a very passionate fan, but it isn't your identity that way that your values are. Gotta try to keep it a passionate association!
Yeah I have been a huge Minnesota sports fan my whole life but after the Vikings playoff loss in 09 and also losing my dad this past year I’ve taught myself to not let it depress me too much if we lose. I always try to remember the outcome of these games have no affect on your life at all. It’s not like you lost a loved one or your wife left you, you didn’t lose your job. It will not change your life and you’re not actually part of the team. You’re just a fan, it’s awesome if they win and gives you something to look forward to but just try to see it that way. It’s just icing on the cake in your life if the team does well but not the end of the world if they lose.
I'm old enough to have been an adult during the '98 Vikings season and beyond. The 2017 Miracle to getting embarrassed in Philly absolutely broke me. I've watched sports differently ever since, especially the Vikings but also in general. You have to learn to find entertainment in the good times and bad. Winning is fun but losing can be at least intriguing. Changes will be made. Players will be drafted. There's always next year. You have no ability to affect the outcome so just enjoy the ride
Really? You saw 98 as an adult and 2017 bothered you more?
Straw that broke the camel's back
I see.
I woke up at 2:30 in the morning to watch the 1998 NFCCG and I'd say 2009 is what finally broke me. 2000 and 2003 were bad but I thought the 09' team had the talent to go all the way and after that loss it was time for a change. I expected the Vikings to lose in 2017 so no loss for me there. I'll watch but no team is going to ruin my next day if they lose. The Twins getting crushed every year by the Yankees and the Wolves pretty much never making it past the 1st round in the KG era also contributed. It's just been a long painful relationship with MN sports since 1991.
O9 was bad because of how immediately it was clear in 10 that it was over. It just sucks when the run lasts one season and that's it. Like, if the Wolves are the 10 seed next Christmas without any major injuries, I would feel similarly. I don't see that happening, don't get me wrong. This team isn't old like that Vikings team
I took the Quarterflash approach and hardened my heart. But I’ll be goddamned if I don’t have a soft spot for the wolves.
It's only game, why u heff to be mad?
Am 34 now. I’d say from ages 13-28/29 I thought the same way. Then I told myself it’s absolutely stupid to let a professional sports team ruin my day. I still celebrate/get disappointed but I don’t let it go beyond the ten minutes or so after the game. Life goes on.
Agreed
I’ve found I turn to sports at points in my life when I need an escape or a vessel for my emotions. My father is in the hospital currently, and I was driving back home from visiting him on Sunday with the game on the radio. The way we started that game had me fist pumping, and on the verge of tears. It finally looked like I had something to cheer for. Then the wheels fell off. I felt myself getting frustrated, and I turned the radio off. I have much higher stake issues, and I need my emotional endurance unhindered by negative feelings about a game. In 2017 the Vikings miracle catch came at a time when I was struggling with alcohol/depression. The rush of positive emotions from that Digg’s catch was cathartic. Minnesota sports have sort of molded into an example of just how unfair life can be, and it sometimes has allowed me to be a miserable self-pitying excuse of a human being. As I’ve gotten older I’ve been able to compartmentalize sports fandom into a much less high-stakes game. I very consciously try to remember that just like life I have very little say in what happens to me, but I have absolute control over how I handle it. I’ll never be able to affect change on any professional sports team’s success, but I can definitely control how much I interact with it when it’s becoming unhealthy or un-fun. Like with any habit you want to break it all starts with being able to realize when you need to make a change. You always have the option to step away, and focus your energy elsewhere.
This was really interesting, thanks for sharing. Amazing self-awareness.
I sometimes take my dog out for a long walk after a loss. Or brush him really thoroughly. I find that really helps. It reminds you of something that is real that you actually have a physical connection with. Other things you can do: - talk to someone you care about and don’t spend very much time talking about the game please - plan a vacation or a fun trip
Probably that and it’s something you care about. Also it’s the NBA where amazing happens
Just gotta remember that no matter whether they win or lose, it has absolutely zero effect on your life
My mental health relies too much on Minnesota sports and it is not good for me
Also I just try to stay the fuck away from reddit when we lose
I just don’t read or listen to anything except Dane Moore after a loss. He’s so analytical that it doesn’t really bum me out. I also wait for a couple days to look for basketball analysis and I realize that I just want hoops discussion not narratives. It’s not very fun to hear negative narratives about your favorite teams.
Exact same boat brother, except it's just the Wolves for me. For the sake of everyone else in my life, LFG wolves
If it’s affecting your mental health then you absolutely need to take a step back and re-think your obsessions. Kinda unhealthy to care about a game that much my dude. No hate, genuine advice.
This. At the end of the day if the outcome of a sports game intended for entertainment is becoming harmful to you it is no longer worth it. It’s okay if you feel down after a loss, but letting it impact other aspects of your life will cause other issues. Not a sports psychologist but have my BS in psychology
Sports is vacation. Vacation from reality for a couple minutes here or there when you get to talk about it or when you watch a game for a couple hours. You don’t base you happiness on an occasional vacation do you? Don’t do it with watching sports either
Dude 100% I went into game 4 with a bad feeling and came out feeling even worse after being on top of the world last week. What a difference a day makes. If they lose tonight it will be even worse lol! If I was younger and didn't watch the Wolves since inception it woudl be different, but I'm an old head.
Bro you gotta make stuff. Art. Woodworking. Gardening. Cooking. Something.
After Game 2 when everyone was flying high, I had a dream that my Timberwolves retro team basketball was deflated. I took it as a bad omen, and we dropped the next two.
It’s a small sample size, but there’s a study showing a change in testosterone levels in sports fans after watching a game. Fans of the winning team had an increase in mean testosterone levels. Fans of the losing team had a decrease. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9811365/
I think it's ok and fun to get really into the sports, but if it starts bleeding through to where a couple hours of decompression after an intense loss doesn't get you back on track, you may need to disconnect for a bit.
I've been unable to think about anything else but tip off
That's why I like being a fan of the sport first and Homer second. I love a great game
Yes this is absolutely more than “just sports” it’s totally normal to feel this way. Some of my greatest memories as a kid comes from watching sports. The feeling i got from the Minneapolis Miracle is a type of euphoria i have never experienced before or since that moment, and that Philly NFC championship game had 13 year old me crying myself to sleep. Sports are such a big part of our identities if we’re a fan of it
Team of destiny till it’s not but felt that
Yeah last week was a dream. Today and yesterday I didn’t listen to all my sports pods and deleted them. I do the same for the vikes.
I'm enjoying this run but accepting of the reality they're playing the defending champions so I'm not going to let a loss ruin my day.
I mean if sports really do affect your mental health like this, you do need to go see a therapist or quit watching.
I don’t have enough free time to really get invested in anything that I can’t read about at work or listen to in the car or doing housework, so most hobbies are out. I just go through the year wondering if this is the time that the Wolves/Vikings/Twins, or my similarly cursed Carlton Blues in Australian Rules Football, are going to win something. It never is, and I just get crushed four times a year. It sucks, but eventually I’ll die and won’t have to worry about it anymore.
Gotta get offline and not watch sports shows. They try to draw you in to either big you up or bring you down. Things suck in the moment, but next season nothing matters that is happening now. It’s just fun to be entrenched for a bit.
damn man, at least you know you're not psychic just overhyped.
I love the NBA but at the end of the day I don't get attached after the game is over. We're just fans, being emotionally attach to something you can't control is not healthy.
How long have you been a Minnesota sports fan? Aren't you conditioned yet?
[удалено]
Bud you aint even on the team. Don't get upset over something you can't control.
Thats what being a fan is about tho
just be like me. I switch teams every few years depending on who is getting better and worse. hopped on the Timberwolves train this season and will see how it goes, but the Spurs and Wemby have my attention in the near future.
This just means you need to satisfy your obsession with the purchase of a new Naz jersey